The commissioning, operation and diagnosis of automation systems and drives are increasingly carried out completely electronically. Mechanical systems and drives of automatic machines are controlled by microcontrollers, using appropriate software (run-time systems). The corresponding control programs are developed on a PC in an engineering system, and subsequently loaded into the run-time system which is responsible for the timed control of the system to be controlled. The engineering system is also used for the commissioning, project engineering, configuration of controls and drives.
The increasing complexity of automatic machines likewise requires more complex control systems and therefore more complex control programs. Previous engineering tools provide rudimentary information, which is supplied to the user in the form of individual items of information. Data preparation is generally carried out manually.